FIND in WPS on Windows: Introduction

FIND in WPS on Windows is a text function for locating the starting position of specified text within another text string; this guide covers 1 core task, with 1 available without membership and 0 membership-related items.

At a Glance

Metric	Value	Notes
Core tasks	1	Matches the number of rows in the How-to Index
Available without membership	1	Matches the number of Free rows in the index
Membership-related items	0	Matches the number of membership-related rows in the index

About This Feature

Overview

FIND is a built-in text function in WPS Spreadsheets on Windows. It returns the position where specified text first appears within another text string.

Core capabilities include:

Showing syntax guidance when you type =FIND( in a cell.
Letting you enter the required arguments and return a result directly in the worksheet.
Recalculating automatically when referenced data changes, which is useful for text location, cleanup, and nested formulas.

Common use cases include locating text positions, preparing text for split operations, and cleaning imported data. It helps reduce manual character counting and makes spreadsheet text formulas easier to build in WPS Office.

System Requirements

Item	Requirement
Operating system	A Windows device that can run WPS Office
App version	The latest version of WPS Office is recommended
Network	No mandatory internet connection is required for local formula calculation
Other	You need access to WPS Spreadsheets and editable worksheet cells

Download & Installation

Before using the FIND function, install WPS Office for Windows and open WPS Spreadsheets.

Item	Details
Official download	WPS Office Free Download
Check after installation	Launch WPS Office → Open WPS Spreadsheets → Select any cell and type `=FIND(` to confirm that syntax guidance appears

Source: WPS download page

Compare with Alternatives

Dimension	WPS	Microsoft	Google	Notion	Adobe
Capability Summary	In WPS Spreadsheets, typing `=FIND(` shows syntax guidance, and the function returns the first position of the target text in a text string with recalculation as data changes.	Excel officially documents Find and Replace for searching text and numbers in worksheets, including search by rows, columns, comments, values, sheets, and workbooks.	Google Sheets officially provides the FIND function, which returns the position where a string is first found within text, is case-sensitive, and supports an optional starting position.	Notion formulas support `find`, `findIndex`, `contains`, `substring`, and other formula functions for database properties and list processing.	Adobe Acrobat provides text search in PDFs through the Find toolbar or Search panel, with support for advanced search options across PDF content.
WPS Advantages	Advantage: WPS keeps the workflow centered on spreadsheet formula entry, with syntax guidance appearing as you type and results returning directly in the cell for further nesting.	Compared with WPS: the cited Microsoft page focuses on worksheet search and replace tools rather than a formula-entry workflow for the FIND function.	Compared with WPS: Google Sheets offers a closely related FIND function and an optional starting position; WPS is positioned around desktop spreadsheet formula editing in the worksheet.	Compared with WPS: Notion formula features are designed for database properties and list logic rather than a traditional spreadsheet cell formula interface.	Compared with WPS: Adobe focuses on PDF text search and advanced document search, not spreadsheet formula calculation.
Official Source	—	Find or replace text and numbers on a worksheet	FIND function	Formula syntax and functions	How to search a PDF document

Overall Conclusion
If your main task is locating text positions inside spreadsheet formulas, FIND in WPS on Windows fits directly into the worksheet editing flow. Microsoft and Adobe focus more on interface-level search, Google Sheets is the closest formula-based alternative, and Notion is better suited to database formula scenarios.

Use Cases

No.	Scenario	Suitable For	Main Need	How FIND Helps
1	Locate delimiter positions before splitting text	Data cleanup users	Text must be split based on a marker	Use FIND to return the marker position before combining it with other text functions
2	Check whether a text string contains a target segment	Spreadsheet analysts	Manual review is slow	Use FIND to locate the segment and combine it with logic functions
3	Build nested text formulas	Advanced spreadsheet users	Multi-layer text formulas are harder to debug	Type `=FIND(` to view syntax guidance while building nested formulas
4	Clean imported text in batches	Office users	Imported data is inconsistent	Use FIND to locate separators or keywords before standardizing the data
5	Teach text functions in class or training	Trainers and students	New users need help understanding argument order	Syntax guidance helps explain how the function is entered and used

Membership & Benefits

Free vs WPS Premium

Feature Area	Free	WPS Premium
Basic FIND function usage	✅ Available	✅ Available
Basic PDF features	✅ Available	✅ Available
Cloud storage	1 GB	20 GB
Template downloads	Limited	More template benefits
Advanced PDF and some advanced tools	Limited	More complete access

Source: WPS Office pricing page

Recommendations

Scenario	Recommended Plan	Why
Learning spreadsheet formulas and handling everyday text lookup tasks	Free	Basic FIND usage is available without membership and works for common spreadsheet tasks
Needing more cloud storage, templates, and broader office features	WPS Premium	In addition to formula use, you get more supporting productivity benefits

WPS membership page: Subscribe now